Cardinal women sweep weekend pair minus Canitez
PRICE, Utah - Sophomore Kama Griffitts had 25 points and seven assists as the 11th-ranked North Idaho College Cardinals defeated the College of Eastern Utah Eagles 80-54 in a Scenic West Athletic Conference basketball game Saturday.
"We played great in the second half," NIC coach Chris Carlson said. "This was probably one of her best all-around games I've seen her play."
NIC played this weekend without sophomore Tugce Canitez, who sat out as a precaution as the school reviews her eligibility. Canitez, the Cardinals' second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, played internationally before coming to Coeur d'Alene.
"With that pro rule they changed last year, everyone is being a little more cautious right now," NIC coach Chris Carlson said. "Tugce's eligibility hasn't been an issue and was in the league all last year, but with the way things are going, we just want to make sure."
NIC (22-2, 8-2 SWAC) extended a 31-29 halftime lead by shooting 21 of 36 from the field, including 7 of 14 from beyond the 3-point line.
Deanna Dotts had 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench for NIC, which travels to 17th-ranked Salt Lake on Friday.
In other SWAC games Saturday, Salt Lake defeated Snow College 55-50 and Southern Idaho rolled past Colorado Northwestern 70-38.
NORTH IDAHO
Camille Reynolds 4-10 0-0 10, Korina Baker 4-5 0-0 11, Kiki Edwards-Teasley 4-6 1-2 9, Kama Griffitts 10-21 1-2 25, Amanda Carlton 2-3 0-0 5, Chantel Divilbiss 2-5 0-0 5, Timena Shebala 0-1 0-0 0, Amy Warbrick 1-2 0-0 1, Julia Salmio 1-2 0-0 2, Deanna Dotts 4-10 3-4 11. Totals 32-65 5-8 80.
EASTERN UTAH
Maddie Hind 1-4 2-4 4, Christin Figgins 1-7 0-0 2, Daiana Ferreria 1-4 3-4 5, Bruna Deichmann 2-9 1-4 5, Priscilla Santos 10-21 6-6 26, Jasmine Scott 1-2 0-0 3, Candice Cornaby 0-1 0-0 0, Chelsea Morgan 2-5 0-0 5, Kathryn James 0-0 0-0 0, Shala Pitchforth 1-3 0-0 2, Abbi Kay 1-3 0-0 2, Elyse Ivy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-59 12-18 54.
Halftime - NIC 31-29. 3-point goals - NIC 11-27 (Reynolds 2-5, Baker 3-4, Griffitts 4-10, Carlton 1-2, Divilbiss 1-2, Shebala 0-1, Warbrick 0-1, Salmio 0-1, Dotts 0-1). CEU 2-10 (Figgins 0-5, Scott 1-1, Morgan 1-2, Deichmann 0-2). Rebounds - NIC 41 (Dotts 9). CEU 35 (Santos 8). Assists - NIC 24 (Griffitts 7). CEU 12 (Scott, James 2). Team fouls - NIC 14, CEU 9. Fouled out - none.
Eastern Utah 78
North Idaho 73
PRICE, Utah - Sophomore guard Michael Hale scored 34 points, but the 17th-ranked Cardinals fell to the Eagles in a Scenic West Athletic Conference game.
"I thought we battled and competed tonight," NIC coach Jared Phay said. "We just didn't hit our shots down the stretch. Michael played well tonight and really kept us in the game."
NIC cut the CEU lead to 68-67 with three minutes remaining.
"I thought we competed hard, but the ball just didn't fall for us in the end," Phay said. "We'll continue to get ready for the regional tournament."
NIC travels to Salt Lake on Friday.
In other SWAC men's games Saturday, Southern Idaho defeated Colorado Northwestern 85-71 and Salt Lake defeated Snow College 71-61.
NORTH IDAHO
DeAndre Taylor 4-5 0-0 8, Ameer Shamsud-din 3-11 6-7 13, Michael Hale 10-21 8-9 34, Nick Fromm 2-5 0-0 4, Anthony DiLoreto 2-5 0-0 4, Jake Owsley 0-4 0-0 0, Tyrone White 3-13 0-0 7, Abebe Dimissie 1-3 0-0 3, Petar Joksimovic 0-2 0-2 0. Totals 25-69 14-18 73.
EASTERN UTAH
Trevor Baumgartner 2-8 0-1 6, James Kinney 7-15 4-4 21, Cameron Evans 2-6 0-0 5, Brady Hurst 8-9 4-7 20, Maxim Zakharv 3-9 4-7 12, Brandon Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Aaron Hawk-Harris 0-3 0-0 0, Neveij Walters 0-1 0-0 0, Bryant Crowder 5-5 4-12 14, Jonathan Mills 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 16-31 78.
Halftime - CEU 23-21. 3-point goals - NIC 9-28 (Shamsud-din 1-6, Hale 6-12, White 1-6, Dimissie 1-2, Joksimovic 0-2). CEU 8-25 (Bamgartner 2-7, Kinney 3-9, Evans 1-2, Zakharov 2-6, Hawk-Harris 0-1). Rebounds - NIC 40 (Owsley 11). CEU 48 (Hurst 10). Assists - NIC 8 (Hale 2). CEU 15 (Evans 5). Team fouls - NIC 28, CEU 18. Fouled out - Fromm, Owsley, Mills.